Kirkland Advises Otro on Formation of Crimson Brand Partners with University of Utah

Kirkland & Ellis advised Otro Capital on finalizing a partnership with the University of Utah Growth Capital Partners Foundation to form Crimson Brand Partners. The partnership marks a major milestone in the launch of the institution's effort to protect its core missions of education and research, while also generating sustainable income for Utah Athletics. The agreement establishes a long-term framework to drive revenue growth, expand commercial opportunities, and strengthen support for Utah Athletics. Crimson Brand Partners, previously introduced as Utah Brands & Entertainment, is an innovative operating model designed to modernize how Utah continues to build its brand and fund its 19 athletics programs—including women’s and Olympic sports—over the long term.

Read the transaction press release

The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Frank Saviano, Jason Krochak, Aidan Murphy and Bob Gilligan; tax lawyers David Foster, Joe Tobias and Brooke Schafer; technology & IP transactions lawyers Seth Traxler, Bernadette Coppola and Jackson Zebovitz; employee benefits lawyer Alex Clark; employment & labor lawyer Jackson Phinney; executive compensation lawyers Rohit Nafday and David Branham; and real estate lawyers Meghan Cocci and Alex Sibirzeff.